Severe shoulder pain when waking up

[Mont Blanc]

For the last few weeks I’ve been suffering quite severe pain in my shoulder when waking up.

Sometimes the pain starts in the middle of the night and is so pervasive that it wakes me up.

It seems to be brought on by my shoulder getting cold, or sometimes I wake up and my arm is in an odd position above my head on the pillow, and I get an incredibly severe pain when I try to move my arm.

If it’s painful when I wake up, then I seem to spend most of the day in pain and barely able to lift or move my arm.

I’ve been using heat patches on it and a hot shower seems to help.

Any ideas on what this is?

Thanks

[Four Litre]

Before I even read your post I guessed you were sleeping with your arm above your head!

I have exactly the same problem. Bursa in shoulder which causes impingement when you raise it up. Get an ultrasound to be sure and it can usually be resolved by either physio / time or steroid injection.

Best of luck and keep that arm down!

[Mont Blanc]

Four Litre said:

Before I even read your post I guessed you were sleeping with your arm above your head!

I have exactly the same problem. Bursa in shoulder which causes impingement when you raise it up. Get an ultrasound to be sure and it can usually be resolved by either physio / time or steroid injection.

Best of luck and keep that arm down!

Thank you, that’s really useful to have some sort of internet diagnosis! At least I have a steer on what to do now.

It’s just weird that I must move my arm up and onto my pillow into a really hurry position whilst asleep.

Cheers.

[90CHPAXL]

Could well be Bursitis like I have. Theres a thread on this health matters sub forum a few pages back detailing my problems with it.

As mentioned, go ask for an ultrasound and see where it goes from there!

Best of luck!

[ozzuk]

Mine does this every few months, lots of stretching usually sorts it, or a trip to a decent physio. I think it's a nerve getting trapped.

[bigdom]

Mont Blanc said:

Any ideas on what this is?

How old is your mattress? I had something similar last year, replaced a very old mattress, the pain went away.

[gangzoom]

If you cannof lift your arm upwards/side ways and the pain is in the shoulder go and see your GP to see if you have a rotator cuff tear.